2nd Weapons Incident Fuels Concern for Court Security

Deputy marshals and security officers searched the Van Nuys Courthouse complex for two hours Wednesday morning after a woman carried a loaded handgun and a knife into a municipal courtroom where three suspected gang members were scheduled to appear, authorities said.

The incident came less than a month after a shoot-out in another Van Nuys courtroom killed a gunman and wounded a deputy marshal. Judges, attorneys, bailiffs and others who work in the courthouse said both incidents underscore the need for tighter security.

“I’m worried not only for me and the people in here, but . . . the courtroom was filled with witnesses,” said Municipal Judge Michael J. Farrell, who was to preside over a preliminary hearing in a robbery case Wednesday.

“Anyone could get killed, any member of the public,” Farrell said. “It’s a real problem.”

The search of the complex turned up no more weapons.

It all started about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, when 10 people were escorted from Farrell’s courtroom and searched after a bailiff said he suspected trouble, authorities said.

Carmelita Kingsberry, 29, of Pacoima later was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon in court after Los Angeles County Deputy Marshal Ron Sabatine found a .25-caliber handgun--with a bullet in the chamber--and a 5-inch knife in her purse, authorities said.

Kingsberry, who was released on $5,000 bail, is the sister of an alleged robbery victim, Ken Kingsberry. Ken Kingsberry and his wife, Yvette, say they were beaten Jan. 10 after three men, armed with shotguns and wearing ski masks, broke into their Van Nuys home at 2 a.m., authorities said. The preliminary hearing in the case was postponed until April 20.

Wednesday’s incident occurred despite beefed-up security resulting from last month’s courtroom shooting. Security patrols have been added and bailiffs have been issued two-way radios to improve communication.

Both incidents occurred outside the main Van Nuys courthouse in temporary courtrooms, which authorities maintain are difficult to secure.

“I don’t see perfection, but I do see some changes, some improvements,” said Deputy City Atty. Jessica Perrin Silvers, who was forced into a courtroom at gunpoint March 9 by Jeremey A. Sigmond, a chiropractor she prosecuted for weapons and traffic violations.

Sigmond was killed in an exchange of gunfire with Deputy Marshal Cliff Wofford. Wofford is recovering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Silvers escaped unharmed.

Outcries and a Task Force

The shooting prompted impassioned pleas from lawyers, judges and public officials for tighter security at courthouses countywide. The county Board of Supervisors named a task force to study the security problem and recommend solutions.

So far, Richard Dixon, county chief administrative officer, has approved a task force request for $151,000 worth of portable radios, hand-held metal detectors and signs telling courthouse visitors they might be searched. Some of that equipment is already in use.

Two deputy marshals, equipped with pocket-size metal detectors, have been assigned to patrol the temporary courtrooms. Seven hand-held metal detectors are available. Eleven two-way radios have been issued to bailiffs to enable them to respond quickly to an emergency in another courtroom.

On Friday, the task force is scheduled to review a report on stationary, walk-through metal detectors and X-ray machines, such as those used at airports. The task force is expected to recommend to the supervisors that such equipment be installed in courthouse entrances.

Security will be improved, authorities said, when a new courthouse building opens in late summer. The 13 temporary structures will not be used for criminal proceedings then, they said.

The new building will be furnished with metal detectors and X-ray devices at each entrance, officials said.

Since the March 9 shooting, marshals have started wearing the bulletproof vests they were issued long ago.

“The majority of people did not wear them unless they were in the field,” said Lt. Art Valenzuela, supervisor of the marshal’s office in Van Nuys. “Now, almost all are, and that is directly related to the shooting.”